Historian Helena P. Schrader discusses ancient Spartan society and culture, seeking to rectify a number of misconceptions. She will also review recent books on Sparta or set in Ancient Greece as well as discuss her published novels on archaic Sparta, and her three part biographical novel on Leonidas and Gorgo.

Ancient Hoplites

Friday, March 11, 2011

International Women’s Day, March 8, is celebrated here by parties, newspaper articles, speeches – and red roses. I was invited to give the keynote address at an event, but while, as expected, I outlined the major milestones of the women’s movement in the U.S.A., I couldn’t leave it there. The condition and position of women in many parts of the world is so incomparably worse than in the “West” that I felt an International Women’s Day should not focus exclusively on the demands of rich and successful Western women for more, but on the need for solidarity with the truly oppressed and misused.

The statistics are truly appalling. A woman dies in childbed every single minute. Two million female infants are either aborted or killed before they reach their first birthday. Five to six thousand women are murdered each year because their fathers or brothers think they did not behave “modestly.” Ten times as many women are trafficked across international borders each year in the 21st Century than Africans were transported across the Atlantic during the height of the African slave trade. A million children each year are forced into prostitution, and ten million children are currently sex-slaves, the bulk of these are girls. Women are not only denied education, access to medical treatment and excluded from economic and political power, they are tormented, enslaved, humiliated, neglected, and murdered – simply because they are women. In many societies, the position of women can only be described as systematic subjugation based on contempt, scorn, loathing and palpable hate.

What does all this have to do with Sparta? Maybe nothing at all, but it did strike me that women in “the West” have status, respect, and legal protection to a degree that is exponentially higher than women in other parts of the world. Furthermore, women in “the West” have enjoyed status, respect and legal protection for literally thousands of years. No, women were not “equal” to men in ancient Rome or in the Middle Ages, but the status of women in Rome and in Medieval England, France and Scandinavia, for example, was significantly higher than in many parts of the world today. Respect for women (not equality) is an integral part of “Western” civilization.

But what is “Western” civilization? It is not just Christianity (although that is an important component!). The “West” also claims the traditions of pre-Christian, ancient Greece as part of its heritage. That is the reason Marathon, Salamis and Thermopylae are often portrayed as the defense of “the West” against the Orient.

But we have a slight problem here. Women in Athens – that favored example of all things “golden” in the ancient world – were treated pretty much like women under the Taliban today. They were denied a healthy diet and exercise, and confined to the cramped, dark “women’s quarters” – just like women in Afghanistan today. They were kept illiterate, and married off at 12 or 13 to die in droves like the child-brides of Africa and Asia today because their immature bodies could not cope with childbirth. They could not inherit or even control property worth more than a bushel of grain. If they were raped, their husbands were compelled to discard them or lose their own citizenship. They had no part of Athens famed culture. They did not even attend the symposiums unless they were sex-slaves. As Pericles put it, the less one talked about or saw Athenian women, the better. In short, they were an embarrassment that Athenian men would rather have done without – how the Taliban would have understood and applauded Pericles! If Athens is the source of our “Western” traditions with respect to women, than Christianity alone is the source of the higher status of women in the West. Possible.

But Sparta had a very different tradition with respect to women. In fact, the status of women in Sparta was notoriously high. Spartan women certainly had economic power – hence Aristotle’s diatribes against them and Sparta itself. They were educated. They received the same food as their brothers and engaged in sport. They were not married until they were sexually mature and had a better chance of surviving the rigors of childbirth.

In the contrast between the Athenian and Spartan treatment of women, we have a microcosm of the modern world -- with Athens firmly located in the regions in which women are most exploited and despised. If ancient Greece had any impact on modern Western attitudes toward women, then we are following – quite unconsciously in most cases – the example of Sparta. In short, Sparta’s influence on Western civilization may be greater than most people – raised on adoration of Athens’ intellectual and artistic accomplishments – realize.

3 comments:

Dr. Schrader, I think you bring up some eye-opening statistics and appropriate historical analogies in your post. It is ironic that we follow the Spartan way of treating women in our society instead of the Athenian way, as we view Athens as the cradle of democracy and Sparta as a militaristic anomaly. I have one question for you. In the Spartan practice of infanticide, did they also discard female babies? I would assume they did. If so, did they tend to discard males more often than females? I only ask, because it seems logical that the inspectors would more harshly judge the male babies, who would do the soldiering. Great post. Keep blogging.

The easy answer to your question is: we don't know. In fact, there is no archeological evidence that the Spartans engaged in infanticide at all. The crevance into which unworthy infants were allegedly thrown is full of skeletons -- all from adult males.

However, the ancient Greeks -- all ancient Greeks -- routinely exposed children they didn't want. (More often girls than boys.) What scandalized the other Greeks was not that unwanted children were exposed at birth in Sparta, but that the decision was taken by the city rather than the father.

I personally believe that obviously deformed or unhealthy children, regardless of sex, were exposed in Sparta, but that most children were given a chance -- particulary after the great earthquake of 465 and in the period of Sparta's accute population decline.

Dr. Schrader, I took the popular history about Spartan infanticide at face value. After looking up some details on recent archeological digs around Sparta, my mind is blown away. In addition, I was not aware that other Greeks practiced exposure. That is very interesting and your blog is doing a lot to dispel some misconceptions I have had about Sparta. Please, keep it up!

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"Leonidas" of Sparta

This sculpture found in Sparta dates roughly from the age of Leonidas -- even if it is unlikely to actually depict him.

Leonidas at Sparta

This is the modern statute of Leonidas in modern Sparti. In place of his name, the top line reads: Molon Labe! Come and Take them!

Approaching Thermopylae

The modern approach to Thermopylae.

The Pass at Thermopylae

This is how the Pass at Thermopylae looks today. Silting has caused the coastline to fill in and the pass is now broad.

Modern Monument at Thermopylae

The modern monument at Thermopylae features a statue of Leonidas and a frieze depicting the battle.

Leonidas at Thermopylae

A closer view of the Leonidas statue on the modern monument at Thermopylae.

Spartan Couple

Spartan marriages were partnerships of equals, something reflected in Spartan art such as this typical sculpture of a man and woman side-by-side.

A Typical Athenian Marriage Scene

In contrast, Athenian depictions of married couples, as here, show demure females and dominant, active males.

A Greek Girl at Play

In Athens, girls rarely saw the light of day or breathed fresh air, because they were confined entirely to the cramped and dark women's quarters at the back of the house.

A Glimpse of Gorgo

This unidentified "Goddess" was found in the Spartan colony of Tarentum and dates from the age of Leonidas. She will always be Gorgo in my eyes!

Spartan Maiden

In contrast, Spartan girls engaged in sport and dance in the fresh air.

A Rare Domestic Scene

This is a rare depiction of Athenian women at home.

Ajax and Achilles playing draughts.

Diplomacy often resembles a game of chess, something the Ancient Greeks, including the Spartans, fully appreciated.

Leonidas the Diplomat

Judging by his deeds, Leonidas was very likely as good at talking as fighting. He convinced the Greeks to entrust him with command over coalition forces -- and then convinced these diverse troops to follow his orders.

Chilon the Wise

Chilon, a Spartan citizen who lived in the mid-6th Century BC, was usually included in ancient lists of "wise men." The laconic advice "nothing in excess" is widely attributed to him.

A Gift?

Gift giving was an important feature in ancient Greek society. In Sparta too, but with a different character.

Slaves in Athens

Most of the Athenian artwork, from pottery painting to sculpture, was produced by slaves, who profited -- if at all -- only indirectly and arbitrarily from their labor. Spartan helots, in contrast, were entitled to 50% of their earnings.

Spartan Symposium

This figurine with the long-haired dinner may depict a Spartan at his syssitia.

Spartan Sculpture

This is one of my favorite pieces of Spartan art -- and it clearly shows a man smiling, not one who is miserable or angry.

Cypriot Sculpture of a Woman

While not Spartan, there is some evidence that the status of women in Sparta was closer to that in earlier civilizations such as the Minoan and Mycenian than elsewhere Greece.

Hoplites

Greek Warfare

Eurotas in Spring

The Eurotas was running fast this spring when I passed through.

Lacedaemonian Vegetation

In the age of Leonidas, Kythera belonged to Lacedaeomon. Here just one picture.

Olives in Lacedaemon

An olive grove near Sparta.

Lacedaemonian Coastline

Kytheran Coast

Natural Spring in Laconia

Laconia is blessed with many natural springs.

Wild Flowers in Laconia

Sparta in Lacedaemon

The rich countryside that surrnounded Sparta.

The Eurotas Valley

The fertile Eurotas Valley settled in the 9th century BC by the Dorian invaders.

Greek Trireme

This picture shows the "Olympia," a modern replica of an ancient trireme maintained by the Hellenic Navy.

Tending the Wounded

Bringing Back the Dead

Spartan Chariot

This magnificent bronze krater is of Lacedaemonian origin.

Spartan Figurine

This is another example of Spartan bronze work. The detail is lovely.

A Hero of Homeric Proportions

Aristomenes of legend was clever as a fox as well as strong and brave.

Aristomenes the Seducer

According to legend, Aristomenes was very successful with women.

The Modern Road to Messenia

This picture shows the modern road through Taygetos from Kalamata to Sparti.

Taygetos

The Taygetos mountains separate Laconia from Messenia.

Woman Washing

Although this piece is Athenian, art historian allege that Spartan art reveals more comfort with the nude female figure.

Taygetos

The Taygetos mountains formed a formidable barriar to the invasion of Messenia, seen here from Amyclae.